Every class teaches something.
Every belt means something.
There is nothing quite like a Zen Do Kai class. Not because of any single thing you learn, but because of how many things you learn.
Kicks, strikes, throws, groundwork, self defence, weapons. All of it in one class, from Karate to Muay Thai, Judo to Krav Maga, Eskrima to BJJ.
No two classes are quite the same.
What Zen Do Kai is
Zen Do Kai was founded in Australia by Bob Jones in 1970 as a freestyle martial arts system built on one idea: take the best from every martial art and keep evolving. At Spear Dojo it has been taught since 1987, shaped by decades of training and experience brought back from Thailand, Serbia, the United States, and beyond.
For juniors the curriculum covers striking, kicking, throwing, grappling, locks, self defence, and weapons, all within a structured belt system that gives every child a clear pathway from their first class to black belt and beyond.
A child training in Zen Do Kai is not learning one answer to every situation. They are learning to read a situation and adapt.
What happens in class
Striking combinations on pads until they start to feel natural. Partner drilling for throws and takedowns. Weapons work with Bo staff, Nunchaku, and Arnis. Ground control and escapes. Self defence scenarios built around real situations. Sparring at all levels, introduced progressively and always supervised.
The belt system reflects the work. Gradings happen when a child is genuinely ready, assessed by instructors who know their training personally.
There are no shortcuts. A belt here means something because it has to be earned.
Where the program comes from
Rod Stroud brought Zen Do Kai to Western Australia and has been central to its development in this state for decades. Sōke Wayne Spear began training under Rod in 1980 and founded Spear Dojo in 1987. Many of the instructors teaching our Kid’s and Teens Zen Do Kai today have trained within this system for twenty years or more.
Some started here as children themselves.
